Author: Breffni Banks

For many years Donegal has been considered the “Forgotten County”.  A county that has always gets thought of as being part of the 6 counties in Northern Ireland, when in fact it is not. Donegal once prided itself on the tourism slogan: “It’s Different Up Here.” Musically wise it has produced not one but 2 very successful musicians both named Rory Gallagher.

And now……

Donegal native Boy M5 aka Kyle O’ Neill. Kyle is definitely not creating music to be forgotten. Self-proclaimed in the art of “venting in the form of melody”, Boy M5 is set to become one of Ireland’s top male indie artists on the scene.

Kyle has shared the stage with a number of well-known Irish artists including Dermot Kennedy, Orla Gartland, Mundy, Soak, Roe and more. Capturing his audience’s attention immediately. It was once said that his performance was “Like he was pleading for his life.” – They couldn’t take their eyes off of him.

On July 9^th Boy M5 releases his second single ‘Mountains’. A video will be out shortly afterwards. Written and recorded in his Studio, Egg House Studios and co -produced by Multi – Platinum award winner Ian Kelosky, Sub Studios Prague.

HousePlants announce the release of a second single, ‘Companero’, out across all digital platforms this Friday, 18^th June.  Also announced is a debut album, ‘Dry Goods’, which will be out in September.

“‘Companero’ was born as a collective remembering of the marriage equality referendum in Ireland, and the euphoria of the day when people gathered at Dublin Castle to celebrate that milestone in our journey towards becoming a more open, liberal society. It’s also a banger!… fast and frenetic, with Daithí adding the snarling synth to my singing and drumming… and was the first HousePlants song that we worked on from our respective caves during lockdown, lobbing our parts across the ether.” – Paul Noonan.

This follows on from the debut single ‘What’s With All The Pine?’, which was released in April.

For both artists, the project represents reclamation amidst a significantly difficult era for creative souls across Ireland and beyond. “There’s a community of music makers who mainly see each other at gigs and nights like the Choice Music Prize that feels somewhat atomised in the void of lockdown,” he says. “One of the nicer things about this time is that artists have been checking in on each other. It feels like lots of people are doing what we did.”

That sense of camaraderie and community is hard-wired into the music of HousePlants. A new tribe for modern times. All welcome.

Dry Goods Tracklist:

1. What’s With All The Pine?
2. Window Pane
3. Companero
4. No Stoppin Me
5. Mannequin
6. Ringing In My Ears
7. Burning
8. Reveller
9. Wait!

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5tnWhgpR0zucG8lhmd9HKn?si=eCIgZZiQQaODK-_oZHgr2w

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/houseplantsband/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/HousePlants_hi?s=09

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/WeAreHousePlants

Bandcamp:

https://wearehouseplants.bandcamp.com/releases

With Franki bringing the summer vibes during the cold, dark months of lockdown, it seems only fitting that the culmination of his work is due as we enter into a summer of fun and freedom. The radiant tones of tracks like ‘Santa Monica’ and ‘are u gonna’ were met with warm reception, gaining national airplay on BBC and 2FM, and now Franki returns with the release of his debut EP on Fruday 25th June. Entitled ‘Rinse, repeat’, the EP is a must-listen for fans of The 1975 and LANY, with some darker RnB undertones recalling the likes of Blood Orange and The Weeknd.

Franki integrates the best elements of electronic and RnB-inspired pop and excels in finessing the fine line between these two sensibilities. The rhythm of the tracks ebb and flow effortlessly, as Franki’s smooth vocals guide us through each soft pop gem. In particular, lead track ‘Talk Again’ solidifies the Dublin artist’s reputation for smart, chillwave pop. Contrary to its upbeat stomping chorus , the lyrics delve into the artist’s own insecurities around romantic hopes – and fears. Franki enjoys this contradiction in sound and subject matter, in his own words –

 “‘Talk Again’ encapsulates a lot of what the E.P is about for me which is uncertainty in love. How easy it can be to get lost in the midst of your emotions and to go back on your decisions despite having no clear outlook on what you want. The entire E.P for me is a collection of emotions that accompany you through the journey of falling in and out of love and how draining and repetitive the process can be. I think ‘Talk Again’ signifies one of the hardest parts of that journey for me, the place of complete indecision and overwhelming doubt.”

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Following the critical success of his ‘What Little Time We Have’ EP, folk-pop songwriter and artist, Luke Clerkin, is set to return with a new single on June 25th. ‘Lost in Translation’ is the first of a series of songs recorded remotely with Berlin based producer, Jaako. It furthers Luke’s journey into the Pop music genre.

Talking about the release, Luke said, ‘’This song was written in 2019 when I was on a college exchange in Germany and I found myself ‘lost in translation’, I was dealing with homesickness, and finding it really hard to connect with people. The one thing that was keeping me going was music and it helped me overcome the language and culture barriers that existed.’

“When I was going through this, I met Jaako and together we wrote the song in less than an hour, and we recorded a little live take to go along with it. After this session, we never really spoke again until during the first lockdown when he sent me a demo he made of the live take. I was so blown away by the demo that I knew I had to work more with him, and after some persuading from my end, we made it happen. This song marks the beginning of what I feel is a sound that I’ve been searching years for, and it’s only a small sample of what’s to come from this project.’

Luke Clerkin is a two-time SCC Song Writing competition winning songwriter and artist. He has been playing and releasing music for the past 6 years. His music has gained international airplay and support, whilst also topping the Irish Singer Songwriter Charts on multiple occasions.

Luke is known mostly for playing over 250 gigs in 2015, as a way of honing his craft. Since then, he has headlined famous Dublin venues such as Whelan’s, The Workman’s Club, and The Button Factory. His music has brought him all over the world, with multiple tours of Germany, as well as festival slots in America, The UK, and Ireland.

After returning from finishing a scholarship in the world renowned Popakademie in Germany, Luke released his second EP, What Little Time We Have, in July of 2020. The EP spawned 3 singles that gained critical success and airplay all over the world. 2020 also saw him complete an apprenticeship with Ed Sheeran’s mentor and Nizlopi frontman, Luke Concannon. Now with a new music style and new music to go along with it, Summer 2021 is sure to be an exciting new beginning for Luke!

‘Lost in Translation’ will be released on all streaming and download platforms on June 25th.

 https://linktr.ee/lukeclerkin

Emerging Afro-Irish artist Xona is a musical triple threat who combines a special talent for songwriting and production with a truly beautiful voice to deliver sensual, soulful Pop/R&B. He releases a new single today, Friday 18^th June, via the Berlin label Welcome to the New World.

Having moved from Lagos to Mullingar, Ireland, at the age of 10, Xona has worked tirelessly to pursue his dream of writing and recording serene and graceful pop songs with a certain relatable quality. His new single ‘When You’re Not Around’ is a memorable sultry track that broods over the question of finding balance within oneself.

“Sonically it takes a brave turn from my otherwise very bright pop sound, it’s influenced a lot by The Weeknd, and that super crisp clean RnB groove.”

After studying for two degrees in jazz and popular music while drifting around the Irish underground music scene for a couple years, Xona began working with different producers and songwriters in London, Berlin, and Dublin. His influences emanate from the vast worlds of jazz, electronic, house, rock and even classical music. The result is a distillation of distinctive and melodramatic sounds that undeniably recall the soulful pop realm of artists like Jorja Smith, Miguel, Lorde and Prince.

The writing of ‘When You’re Not Around’ provided Xona with a dramatic progression in terms of his capabilities as a songwriter and producer. “This was the first song that wasn’t about fairy tales or heartbreak when dealing with someone else. I wrote the song for me and it definitely helped me understand the kind of “lover” for the lack of a better word, I am and how to sustain that.” The moment of inspiration arrived suddenly after years of refining his craft coalesced with a divine feeling of how to “ride both the wave of the love you give, and the love you must keep.”

‘When You’re Not Around’ is out now, via Berlin/Dublin based record label WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD (Tolü Makay, Enda Gallery, Strange Boy). Stream / download: https://found.ee/XonaWYNA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xo._.na/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xonatheartist

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3iupkARv6JjMdaMPXStSGm?si=WXHIRL79QRWXH8RXBV0fjw

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/de/artist/xona/1533671366?l=en

After amassing over 150M streams with his previous productions, the Norwegian Grammy nominated producer and leading Nordic provider of chill tunes, Sonny Alven, is now crafting his music in new directions. Pushing the boundaries of his musicality and exploring new sounds. After releasing the chill ‘You & I’ earlier this year he is now ready to make us dance out of Covid. ‘Shut Up And Dance’ featuring the Irish singer/songwriter Aimée is tailored for late summer nights and house parties. Throughout the year more music will come from Sonny Alven.

Aimée’s Confession EP & debut single ‘Don’t Bother’ shot straight to #1 on Irish iTunes charts. Her single ‘Naked’ reached #4 UK Music Week Pop Charts & #12 UK Music Week Upfront Charts. She’s also known as a member of Irish Women In Harmony who’s stunning version of The Cranberries ‘Dreams’ was the most downloaded song by an Irish act in 2020, as well as a top 10 radio hit.

The now 27-year-old DJ and producer Sonny Alven started releasing remixes online in his teens followed by massive support from the online community, which soon inspired him to create his own original music. This led to a record deal with Universal Music and scoring his first hit later that year with the 2015 smash ‘Our Youth’, which today has gained over 40M streams, had 4 weeks at #2 on the Norwegian Radio Charts as well as receiving a nomination for “Song Of The Year” at the Norwegian Grammys. After his breakthrough, Sonny has had an increasingly significant mark on the Nordic and international electronic scene with a steady output of originals, high-end official remixes for artists like Tove Lo, Alesso, Astrid S as well as a supporting tour for Kygo in 2016.

Sonny Alven

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

Aimée

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok / AiméeMusicOfficial.com

Pa Sheehy has just unveiled his debut solo single ‘I Saw You At A Funeral’, released Friday 18 June 2021.

Speaking about the brand new single ‘I Saw You At A Funeral’ Pa Sheehy said:

“This is a song I find easier to sing than talk about. I didn’t want to give this part of my life too much attention because I was doing my best to focus on the good things in my life. But every time I sat down to write a song, it was always the first thing that jumped out of me. So I knew I had to get it out of my system. After it was written, it was all about not over doing it with the production. With such a blunt song it didn’t need any bells and whistles. A little keyboard arpeggio and some atmospheric sounds was enough to glide it home. My siblings listened to it once but won’t listen to it anymore. I take that as a compliment.”

It wasn’t just Covid-19 and lockdown, which made 2020 a year that Pa Sheehy is unlikely to forget. After a decade fronting the Irish chart-conquering Walking On Cars, he decided last July that it was time to leave the group.

“When lockdown hit, the level of peace that came over me was something I’d never felt before, I slowed down and stopped thinking of the next song and the next gig for the first time in ten years. It was a chance to re-evaluate everything. Was I happy with where I was? I tried to convince myself I was and that I should be grateful but it became apparent after some time that I wasn’t happy and it was time to make a big decision.”

“There was no bust up or other big drama; it had just run its course.” he explains. “Following all those years of being in a band, I wanted to be able to totally do my own thing, which has been very liberating. Walking On Cars was an amazing period in all our lives. The people of Dingle were with us from our first gig in a local bar, Two albums later and we had toured all across the world, played to 14,000 people in Dublin’s 3Arena; and performed before Kendrick Lamar at Electric Picnic to 35,000 people singing back every word. So all in all, we did good.”

‘I Saw You At A Funeral’ the debut solo single from Pa Sheehy is out now across all digital platforms.

Denise Chaila is back with new single ‘061’, released today, Friday, 18th June 2021 on narolane records.

Produced by MuRli, ‘061’ sees the rapper’s commanding energy roll over a syncopated and medieval-themed beat. Denise exudes an empowering sense of autonomy and confidence for her community in the track, whilst retaining a healthy amount of wit and her signature cultural references.

Denise Chaila came to international attention last year after the release of her debut mixtape Go Bravely caught the attention of media across the world from NPR (“a limber lyricist”) to The Guardian (“turning heads from the outset”) to NME (“the name Denise Chaila holds regal status”) to France 24 (“Known initially as a rising star of Irish hip-hop, Chaila’s mixtape ‘Go Bravely’ has now propelled her to the top of the firmament”).

In Ireland, she was the highest-charting female solo artist in 2020 and Go Bravely won the Choice Music Prize album of the year award – making it the first time an artist had received the award before releasing their debut album.

VJ Jaxson is real. There is nothing hidden with the Irish-Nigerian artist, he chooses to be vulnerable and brave with his listeners and his forthcoming debut EP, out 25th June, sees no deviation from that mission. Entitled ‘Finding Myself’, it is an emotive body of work that continues to push the boundaries of the artist’s sound. Lead track ‘Sweat And Tears’ is a must-listen for fans of Juice WRLD and Lil Peep, echoing a positive message of determination and strength with defiant lyrics of “I will never give up trying”. The chorus blends strong guitar riffs with an anthemic hook that grabs you from first listen.

VJ’s genre-spanning sound blends hip-hop production with emo delivery. There are elements of soul, R&B and pop – with darker undertones lurking in the background all the while. What is most striking about the music though is VJ’s emotionally turbulent lyrics. They delve into the artist’s own insecurities, and these are clearly the laminations of someone who has been in the throes of their own struggles. VJ took a career hiatus after a bout of depression but, after stepping away for a brief period, he turned to his faith and came to rediscover his drive and self-belief as an artist. This EP is an ode to those tough times.

Now back with a different view of success and the creative process, this exciting artist shows a continued progression and maturity with his debut EP. The lyricism is heartfelt and honest, taking the listener on a journey through tales of faith, self-belief, loneliness and anxiety. This new body of work has allowed VJ to express everything he’s been through and hold true to his ultimate purpose of reaching “people who are in the same situation and need a sense of direction to get back on track.”

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Photo: Sharon Crowley

After the recent success of two critically acclaimed singles, ‘A Million Minds In Tune’ and ‘Strange World’, ‘The Yellowhead Project’ (aka Philip Gargan) has announced the release of his new single ‘Too Much Is Going On’, taken from his debut album ‘Master The Monster, which was released last month

‘Too Much Is Going On’ is Phillip’s take on the 1979 hit for The Miami and Peter Eades, and has already been picking up strong national airplay support in Ireland over the past couple of weeks.

‘Master The Monster’ represents a body of work, which on the surface is an exploration of Gargan’s fantastic, trademark, self layered vocal harmony, combined with exciting and catchy power pop melodies. However, when those layers are stripped back, it also reveals itself as something much deeper, with no shortage of quality throughout.

Clichéd though it may be, ‘Master The Monster’ was a labour of love, many years in the making, the seeds of which were first planted, in the years following the break up of his first band, Reel (Universal Records). Over time, what started as a studio experiment in soundscape creation, through the medium of vocal harmony, organically evolved into a unique musical sound, representative of the new and more independent direction which was calling.

There was also undoubtedly, a therapeutic element to the album’s creation. As a practicing Psychotherapist, Gargan believes very strongly in the positive psychological effects that music can have, whether as a listener, or in this case, creator. “These songs helped me to move forward, both musically and as a person,” he says. “They gave me the space I needed to be truly authentic. It’s more a felt sense than anything I can fully explain, but making this album became one of the most important things that I’ve ever done for myself.”

All the songs on ‘Master The Monster’ were produced by long time TYP collaborator, and musical mentor Peter Eades (producer of Finbar Furey, Clannad, John Sheehan and Thin Lizzy amongst many others), whose expertise was paramount in shaping the sound. Eades also had a key writing input throughout. In simple terms, Philip wanted to paint vivid musical colours, and Peter helped to make it possible. Thus, ‘Master The Monster’ was born.

With thanks to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.